Latch



(No Model.)

E. s. WHEELER.

LATCH.

Patented Dec. 26, 1893. F|G

F l es- THE mmonm. Lxmoamwmm; coMPANY.

wAsHmaroN. n, c,

rari-is artnr erica.

ENOOH S. VHEELER, OF SAUK CENTRE, MINNESOTA.

LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 51 1,669, dated December 26, 1893. Application filed March 31, 1893. Serial No. 468,444. (No model.)

To @ZZ 1071/0712/ t may concern:

Be it known that I, ENocH S. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sauk Centre, in the county of Stearns and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Latch, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in latches; the objects in view being to provide a latch adapted for use with and adapted to lock either sliding or swinging doors, lids, and the like.

With these main objects in View the invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafter specified and particularly pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawingsz-Figure 1 is an elevation of a hinged door, the same being provided with a latch constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View of a sliding door. Fig. 3 is a detail in perspective of the latch. Fig. 4 is a reverse elevation of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail of the staple employed in connection with the latch when used on a swinging door. Fig. 6 is a similar view of the staple employed in connection with the latch when used on a sliding door.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a cast-metal or other housing, the same being of oblong shape and having upper, lower, and outer flan ged or closed ends. The inner or front end of the housing is provided with a pair of perforated screw-receiving ears 2, and the same are connected in front of the housing by a cross-bar 3 spaced from the front wall of the housing and producing an intermediate opening or mouth 4. Upon a screw 5 passing through an opening 6 near the outer end of the housing there is pivotally mounted a latch-lever 7, the said lever at its front end extending through the opening 4 of the end of the housing and beyond the same. The latch-lever is provided with an enlarged head 8 whose extremity is reduced forming a pointed tongue 10. The head is provided above and below the latch with angular shoulders 11, and in front of said shoulders with an eye 12. The latch is secured in position upon a hinged door, as shown in Fig. l, by

means of screws 13, and a cord 14 is engaged with a perforation 15, formed in an outstanding lug 16 that projects from the face of the lever in rear of the eye. The cord projects through a perforation 17 formed in the door above the latch, extends transversely across the door, and is connected to a staple or other fixture 1S, as shown by dotted lines, said staple being located adjacent to the hinge line of the door.

20 designates an ordinary staple, with the exception that its. upper side is provided with a notch 21 located in transverse alignment or in the path of the eye of the latch lever. This staple is driven in a post or into the wall adjacent to the door-opening, and when the door swings to the eye passes over the end of the staple, and by means of a V-shaped spring 22 causes said latch-lever to engage with the notch 2l. If desired a similarstaple 23, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, may be located at the` opposite side of the door-opening so as to engage the latch-lever when the door is entirely open, and thus lock the same against accidental closing.

I have thus described the device as adapted for and used in connection with a hinged-door, lid, or other similar article, and if it be desired to employ the latch in connection with a sliding-door or other closure, such may be accomplished by the use of the staple 25 which is sufficiently large to receive the approaching end of the latch-lever and engage with the lower-most shoulder in rear of the head of said lever, whereby an engagement is effected. In this latter construction the only change made is the employment of a larger staple in order to receive the head of the latch-lever.

From the foregoing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a latch of very cheap and simple construction adapted to be put onthe market and sold to the trade either with or without the cap or housing which I have shown, said latch being therefore adapted to be used either in connection with swinging or sliding-doors, or similar closures.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- The combination with the latch-lever piv- IOO oted to the door and extending beyond. the end thereof, said lever being provided at its outer end with an enlarged head beveled at its opposite upper and lower front corners and adapted to enter a staple and provided at its rear upper and lower edges in rear of the head with abrupt shoulders adapted to engage over or under the staple and in the head with a transverse eye adapted to receive the staple, of an open staple disposed at a right angle to and adapted for entering the ENOCH S. WHEELER.

Vi tn esses I-I. D. WHITEFIELD, F. W. SPRAGUE. 

